Current-motor.



L. R. APPLEGATE.

CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 1,1912.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

)Z I? INVE/VTOR L6? Kg? \APpkjaTe @fiTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEE ROY APPLEGATE, 0F SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

CURRENT-MOTOR.

Application filed July 1, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, LEE ROY APPLEGATE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of \Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Current-Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to current motors and to a new way of utilizing the sea tides which are common to the coasts of the United States. 'It is well known that on the coasts alluded to there are tidal currents, through narrows, or straits, which are especially strong. Placed where the shore line is rugged and with the tide rushing in or out, this current motor will gather considerable power.

My invention has for its object to provide a device of this nature that may he placed in the bed of a stream and will be operated by the current of the running water.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction which will be cheap of manufacture and efficient in its operation.

My invention further relates to that class of motors which derives a source of motion from running water and is adapted to be located within the sluice or water way, and, without change in its construction, may be located on the surface of a running stream with the blades or buckets projecting into the water their full depth, but allowing the return of the buckets to be entirely out of the water.

This invention further relates to improvements in current motors consisting more especially in the use of hinged buckets made of iron or other suitable material and se cured firmly to an axis extending across the entire motor, the ends of which are made to work in hearings on the chain drive members 17 at the sides of the motor.

A further object of my invention is to provide a motor that is easily constructed and durable in use, one that will yield a greater amount of power with a given volume of water under a given head, than any other wheel of the same size now in use, particularly when used as a current or submerged motor and for all situations where the supply of water is limited or the head is low from the impracticability of building dams or where dams are not permitted:

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11,1913.

Serial No. 706,883.

but where there is an abundance of water with a strong current this, my invention, will be found very valuable from the fact that it is susceptible to being used either as a current motor on the surface of the stream or as a submerged current motor under the water with the same results. I

A further object consists in an improved arrangement of feathering buckets, also in improvements'in the arrangement of the blade and the operating device therefor, all

through an air chamber which will prevent I friction with the current and loss of power, as would be the case if they had to return through the water.

This, my invention, will be more fully illustrated in detail in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional longitudinal elevation through the motor; Fig. 2 is a cross section taken in the line AA.

10 is the frame or body portion of my machine, which consists of sides, a top, and a bottom. On the upper half of the frame 10 at each end are constructed dams 11 and 12, and which are-constructed to make a water tight compartment within the confines of the dams in the upper half of the frame, through which the buckets pass when 'returning.

13 is a floor extending from side to side of 10,'serving to strengthen the frame and serving the further purpose of preventing drift ing stuff from twisting about the shafting or tangling into the rotating parts of the machine.

14 are the blades of my machine, pivoted on the shaft 146* which is attached to the chain members 17, extending across the machine in a line parallel with the drive or sprocket shafts 19. Members 15 are rigidly fixed to the blades. 14 near their ends, and are provided with a curved slot 16. In the slot 16 is the pin head 20 attached to the arm 21, which will find sulfic'ient movement to keep the blade in a perpendicular position when the pressure of water is acting against said blade. As

the blade nears the end of its working distance, the pin 20 attached to the arm will travel alon the slot and allnw flan lilardn f'n by the action of the current and again asbeingv sumes a perpendicular position, braced by the member 22. The end of 22,

- opposite 20, is attached to a link in the chain 17 so that the movement will be uniform between all of the parts.

The chain 17 is supported on sprockets 18 which revolve upon shaft 19 and 19 The shaft 19 is considered the power shaft of the motor, from which power may be transmitted in any approved method. In this case, attached to 19 is a bevel gear 29 with a corresponding bevel gear 30, which transmits power to the shaft 31. 1

28 is a pipe extending from the surface of the stream into the chamber 29. The valve member 28 is so arranged as to prevent the escape of air from the chamber, and is provided to be attached to a pump which will force air into the chamber 29, which pressure will force the water from the chamber when the motor is submerged and allow the buckets to return through air in place of Water, and by these means secure greater efliciency for the machine.

At the forward end of the frame 10 is constr cted a grating which is intended to prevent drift-wood or other floating matter from entering the machine thus preventing the rotation or operation of the several parts.

For the purpose of bringing the motor to a standstill or to throw it out of operation, I have constructed hinged leaves 23 to which are attached levers 25. Rods 26 connecting with these levers extend upward to a point above the surface of the water. A downward pressure of the rod will serve to project the leaf into the path of the moving blades 14, causing them to remain parallel with the flow of the stream, thus allowing the water to pass without causing the rotation of the moving parts. When it is desired to again use the machine, the lever is reversed, the leaves 23 disappearing into the frame 10, allowing the blades to assume a perpendicular position with the current.

When it is desired to use this machine along the coast where advantage is taken through the rapidly flowing tides through straits,'the machine is mounted upon a pivot or turn table and has projecting from the rear end a rudder rigidly attached to the frame, which will cause the machine to swing and present its front to the rush of the-tide.

The mode of operation of my motor is as follows: As the water enters the frame its action upon the blades will cause them to move the buckets and cause the machine to rotate, the buckets being braced by the arms 22; but after the blades have passed out of the range of the current they are pendent from their pivot 1 1 and as the movement continues they assume a nearly parallel position with the flow of the water through the machine until they reach the forward end of the machine when the blade beyond the dam will cause the blade to tip completely over-and assume a perpendicular position with the full face of the blade presented to the fiow of the current. I claim Ina current motor a casing with spaced side'walls carrying journals for supporting rotating shafts, rotating shafts supporting sprocket wheels, said wheels supporting sprocket chains, chains having carrying pivots upon which blades are hinged, a means for adjusting blades when in the water and keeping them at right angles to the flow of the current, a means for the return of the blades through the air space, a gate hinged to the side walls of the casin and tips downward and the weight of the water .upon that portion of the blade projecting v,

pro3ecting in the path ofthe blades to ring the motor to a standstill.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature q, in I 

